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Just so I am clear, a chance comes along to put our name and school in peoples minds in Texas, one of the top 3 college talent producing states in the country and several think this is a horrible idea. I hope none of those people ever said it was good for USC to get exposure in Texas at all, because this trophy game basically gives us more exposure for almost nothing in return and I guess if you hate this idea you never saw any value in getting into that area at all.

That's along the lines I was thinking, is doing this creating too many "championships/trophies?"

Every year, we'll be playing for the:
Bonhmam Trophy
Mayors' Cup
State Championship/Rivalry Trophy SEC East Trophy
SECCG Trophy
Bowl Game Trophy or
Playoff Round 1 Trophy
National Championship Trophy

So in a perfect season, that would be 7 trophies. That seems like overkill to me, I don't think winning the Mayor's Cup would deplete the value of winning an SEC trophy, but is it really needed? While I don't think that the SEC Reg Season game trophies do any real harm, I also don't see the value.

We've been playing teams like uf, uga and tenn for 20+ years regularly and don't have a trophy, why do we need to fabricate some kind of meaning for the matchups with the new teams?

Are they giving out a trophy for winning your division now? Oh gawd, I hope not. That's almost reaching the level of participation trophies in Little League.

I've also been to DFW a good bit, and Houston a few times. While I don't care for UT fans, I would not classify them as the "wine as cheese" crowd (though I agree with B-G. Wine and cheese are tasty)

What I mean is that the UT people consider themselves better than A&M because they think of themselves as more sophisticated and sociable than the cretins at A&M. It is almost the same way that UNC people look down their nose at Clemson fans ... and us to a certain lesser degree.

Basically, by giving a game a trophy you are pretty much saying the game is a big deal. Texas A&M always promotes their traditions, so if they are including us in that group you can be sure their fanbase will talk about it.

Every SEC game is a big deal. It may not be a big challenge, but you can't say a conference game isn't a big deal.

As to A&M always promoting a tradition: that statement goes to support a comment made earlier in the thread. Without scrolling back, I believe the term was manufactured tradition. Nothing could be more true considering the two teams have never met each other on the playing field.

As it stands, their fanbase will be talking about the game. The only way it would become a mere sidenote would be the 'Cocks putting up records, yearly, that mirror that of Kentucky.

Quote:

Originally Posted by trapper82

If we have a gameday option for us, it will be the focal point of one segment at least. You had a couple of SC natives fighting to help Texas gain independence, its part of their history. They have schools and roads named after the guy. Read the article, "everyone in Texas knows who he is." This trophy ties that guy, a guy they consider a hero, to SC and our game. I don't see how that isn't good for us.

Now this sounds like something made for Tom Rinaldi. That's something Saturday's could stand less of, in my opinion.

I'm not discrediting this historical links. Those are interesting.

When I see “We’re mixing politics, football and history,” that...well, just bothers the hell out of me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by trapper82

Now of course, you still have to win the game, but I dont think its an accident we are building ties to Mizzou and Texas A&M, they are willing to make our games as a big deal and not treat us like second class citizens like some others in the SEC.

This isn't the first time I've read "treat us like second class citizens." There may be some fans who talk like that but it's, at best, false bravado.

I truly believe you won't find a SEC fan who looks at a game against UofSC as something other than an important game, and a challenge.

As a final side note: The way things are constantly changing within the Big 5 who is to say the game with A&M ends up being on a rotation in a year or two? It certainly seems like it would be foolish to put energy into this idea and find out in two years we've moved to a nine game schedule and the two schools won't face each other but every four/five years.

As to A&M always promoting a tradition: that statement goes to support a comment made earlier in the thread. Without scrolling back, I believe the term was manufactured tradition. Nothing could be more true considering the two teams have never met each other on the playing field.

Given that we've never played them, and if we do keep playing, it will be cool in 50 years to say the trophy has been awarded at every meeting between the two teams.

What I mean is that the UT people consider themselves better than A&M because they think of themselves as more sophisticated and sociable than the cretins at A&M. It is almost the same way that UNC people look down their nose at Clemson fans ... and us to a certain lesser degree.

The concept of adding another trophy game doesn't really bother me, but I'd much rather see us tackle the utter embarrassment that is the Carolina-Clemson trophy before we turn our focus to creating one for a "rivalry" that has barely existed.

Another lame attempt to create excitement about something meaningless. Maybe the senator has a friend in the trophy business who needed a boost. Seriously, that's the only thing I think about anymore whenever I see flaming bags of turds like this idea.

As far as I'm concerned, I don't care what trophy is handed out a half hour after the game in front of the 30 remaining fans and assorted janitorial staff that will be there, as long as the TAMU team is unable to sit down on the plane home because of the permanent injury sustained after we plant our cleats in their asses. After all, I plan on being shitfaced at that point and the trophy presentation over the loudspeaker will sound like this: BWAA BWA BWA BWAA BWA SAJKRHETCGKWHERB

Every SEC game is a big deal. It may not be a big challenge, but you can't say a conference game isn't a big deal.

As to A&M always promoting a tradition: that statement goes to support a comment made earlier in the thread. Without scrolling back, I believe the term was manufactured tradition. Nothing could be more true considering the two teams have never met each other on the playing field.

As it stands, their fanbase will be talking about the game. The only way it would become a mere sidenote would be the 'Cocks putting up records, yearly, that mirror that of Kentucky.

And yet not all have a trophy, and A&M wants to do one with us. Not Tennessee, not Vanderbilt, but us.

Quote:

Now this sounds like something made for Tom Rinaldi. That's something Saturday's could stand less of, in my opinion.

I'm not discrediting this historical links. Those are interesting.

When I see “We’re mixing politics, football and history,” that...well, just bothers the hell out of me.

I don't get the politics part of what he was saying other than some of the people involved in the initial discussion. How does the trophy as described and if delivered as they state refer to politics? I think some people, like yourself, are jumping on what was designed to be a rather benign comment and making it much more than it was intended because it includes the p word.

Quote:

This isn't the first time I've read "treat us like second class citizens." There may be some fans who talk like that but it's, at best, false bravado.

I truly believe you won't find a SEC fan who looks at a game against UofSC as something other than an important game, and a challenge.

As a final side note: The way things are constantly changing within the Big 5 who is to say the game with A&M ends up being on a rotation in a year or two? It certainly seems like it would be foolish to put energy into this idea and find out in two years we've moved to a nine game schedule and the two schools won't face each other but every four/five years.

Any respect you refer to is only recent in my opinion. I have seen too much on SEC rant from other SEC fans to agree with you, but we can obviously agree to disagree.

As to the other point, who knows what might happen, doesn't always keep you from acting in the meantime. When recruits come visit the more trophies we have in the case, the better.

Another lame attempt to create excitement about something meaningless. Maybe the senator has a friend in the trophy business who needed a boost. Seriously, that's the only thing I think about anymore whenever I see flaming bags of turds like this idea.

As far as I'm concerned, I don't care what trophy is handed out a half hour after the game in front of the 30 remaining fans and assorted janitorial staff that will be there, as long as the TAMU team is unable to sit down on the plane home because of the permanent injury sustained after we plant our cleats in their asses. After all, I plan on being shitfaced at that point and the trophy presentation over the loudspeaker will sound like this: BWAA BWA BWA BWAA BWA SAJKRHETCGKWHERB

^The whole concept is stupid there doesn't have to be a trophy for everything in college football. There was a time when winning was all that mattered now there has to some stupid meaningless cup or other inanimate object to symbolize that win, the only trophies that matter are National Title and SEC Championships everything else can go.

^The whole concept is stupid there doesn't have to be a trophy for everything in college football. There was a time when winning was all that mattered now there has to some stupid meaningless cup or other inanimate object to symbolize that win, the only trophies that matter are National Title and SEC Championships everything else can go.

There are a lot of rivalries across the country that are accepted as 'natural' that are not geographically adjacent to one another

What are some examples? S.Cal and Notre Dame are not 'natural' rivals. They are two historically good programs that decided to start playing each other.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rooster'srule

Not sure "forced" is the correct adjective...maybe arbitrary...but these guys are good football teams with good histories, etc. I don't think we are leaving the SEC nor do I think they will...so playing them for the forseeable future and beyond is a real possibility so in the long run I am sure these match ups will be great rivalries and exciting, tough games. I see your point tho the SEC did kind of choose these game for us and there is no real history right now. When we played Missu in the bowl game I remember thinking I am glad we get a chance to play these guys and wanted to play a lot of other teams that we didn't normally play. It was great when we played USCw and Mich., etc. back in the 80s

I think the Carolina - A&M rivalry is very forced but I think that the trophy is a good way to deal with it because it's going to be a game we play every year for the foreseeable future. FWIW the rivalry with Arkansas was forced too but we let them play Missouri because THAT was a natural rival.

All of our historic, natural rivals are in the ACC except for UGA. Part of this whole SEC thing is developing new rivals. That takes time and winning on our part.